Shining Moon
by Randy G
Summary: Introduces a new character to the Twilight Saga. Focuses on the Quileute aspect of Twilight. Follow Ben Purser asd he goes through a new life as a werewolf including a surprise imprinting. Adds a new bit of lore to the Quileute legends.
1. Chapter 1

**Shining Moon**

**By: Randy G.**

**Chapter 1**

Sleepwalking.

I had done it a few times in the past. I never got much further than the front door. This dream had obviously shaken me. I woke up near the tree line behind my house. I didn't know how I had gotten there. Had I somehow learned to open doors like the dinosaurs in that movie I saw once? I chuckled at the idea of me running around the back yard roaring in my sleep.

I got up off the soft grass patch that I was laying on. As I stood upright I brushed the moss from my khaki shorts revealing the mud-stains. I felt a prickling on my head, and I combed through my blond hair to pull out a collection of twigs and leaves.

_What had I been doing?_

I did one final scan of myself to make sure I hadn't bungled my way into another injury, nothing.

I walked my way back to the front door of our small cabin. I had just moved here with my mother. I hadn't been back to the La Push reservation in 18 years, back when Dad had still been with us and I was two. I didn't understand why mom wanted to come back here. I knew she didn't like it because of how it reminded her of him. One day, out of the blue, she just said that we were going. I didn't expect the tribe to welcome us as easily as they did. After all, Mom wasn't part of the Quileute tribe, and I was only half.

A man by the name of Sam Uley had set us up with this small cabin on the edge of the collective village. I liked Sam. He was dark-haired, and about the same age as I was. Despite his age, I could tell that he commanded a lot of respect from the other tribe members. He was very kind. He didn't stare with judging eyes like some of the tribe members had when mom and I first arrived. He treated me like family.

_Maybe I should go see him later…_

Lost in thought, I had managed to cross the yard to the front of the house. I pulled open the screen door slowly, trying not to make noise. Maybe If I could be really quiet, Mom wouldn't hear me coming. She had been getting very upset about my sleep walking. In fact, everything I did recently was making her angry. The last time I tried to ask her what was wrong she simply denied any feelings of anger, and told me to leave her alone.

"BENJAMIN THOMAS PURSER!"

"Shit." I muttered to myself.

"Where were you so early in the morning?!" Her blond hair was slightly ragged.

I shuddered. Her nagging was irritating me more that it usually did. My arms started to shake a bit as I stared into her eyes. I didn't see anger behind those blue eyes though. I saw sadness. She averted her gaze. The shaking stopped.

"Sorry mom. I should have let you know I was going outside for a bit." She softened. I didn't want to tell her I had been sleepwalking. That might start another argument.

"Just go change out of your dirty clothes Ben. Honestly, I can't believe that you're 20. You are as messy as you were when you were five." She smiled then. Her wonderful toothy smile that became rarer since we came back to the reservation.

"Alright." I mumbled. Then I headed to my room.

It was true that I was 20. I had decided after high school that I wouldn't be going to college. Mom needed me more. I helped her by working part-time jobs, and doing whatever home repairs that were needed. Even though I knew that our contributions to the family were about equal, I could never shake the feeling that I was somehow a burden to her. This feeling had been increasing for the past few weeks. I had been going through some changes.

I looked through my small room for a change of clothes. I pulled out some fresh khaki-cargo shorts and a grey t-shirt. As I undressed, I looked at myself in my tall mirror that hanged crookedly on the back of my door. I was slimmer than I remembered, and my muscles were more defined. I used to look on my doughy physique with a sort of mocking grimace. This was not me in the mirror. I didn't really understand it. I hadn't been doing more than I usually did as far as exercise. As for food, I was eating more than I had ever eaten before. It was like my metabolism was in hyper drive.

Mom said that is was just late puberty. Every textbook I had ever read on growth and development said that puberty happened in the teens. I thought my growth had finished. After high school, I had stood at a respectable six feet. In just the last two weeks I had shot up to about 6' 6''. Was growth like that even humanly possible?

I threw on my fresh clothes and walked back out to where my mom was watching television.

"Did you put your dirty clothes into the hamper?" She said this without looking at me, apparently glued to whatever news story was on.

"Yes." I replied. The irritation in my tone was obvious. "I'm going to go walk around."

Mom spun around in the couch, and looked at me. "Don't stay out too long. You don't know this area too well, and I don't want something to happen." She could only look into my eyes for a second, and then she turned away. I saw something in them. Like she couldn't look into them for long or she might shatter into pieces. What had I done?

Pissed off and confused, I went out the screen door. I was shaking a bit again.

I didn't know exactly where I was going to go. Mom was right, I didn't know the area. I had seen a group of boys out by some rock faces. Apparently they were jumping into the water below. A sort of extreme sport I guessed. It must keep some of the boredom of this place in check. Even so, they looked very cliquish. Most of them had the same short haircut, and they were huge. I wondered for a minute if they were brothers…it might be possible. I decided instead to go into "town", which consisted of a handful of small businesses and homes.

The walk from our secluded cabin was long. I had never really had a taste for driving. The dirt road wound up and down several hills, like a snake through the dense woods. I walked briskly, enjoying the cool air of a late Washington summer. It was then that my paranoia kicked in. Something was watching me.

I knew something was. I could feel it. I stopped and scanned the tree line. Behind the initial line of pine trees it was dark, and covered in thick shrubbery. I couldn't really see anything. I resigned to quicken my pace so that I could avoid whatever it was. Attentively, I ran my way into the main part of the village.

I calmed down now. I felt safer being around more people. The tingling in my spine began to fade. I took one more glance around to make sure that there wasn't anything there. I put the paranoia out of my mind, and walked into town.

As I entered the town a strong sense of boredom overcame me. There was nothing that looked remotely promising as far as amusement went. A simple general store, a tourist shop filled with tacky-overpriced trinkets, a dozen or so small houses, and what looked like a school.

"It isn't much is it?" a voice behind me snickered.

I turned around quickly to see a boy, probably about 16. His hair was long and black. It flowed over his russet-colored face, almost concealing a massive grin. He was tall for his age, and somewhat gangly. I smiled back, it was almost impossible not to return it when so much happy energy came out of him.

"Don't worry", he said "Things do eventually get interesting in this place. I'm Seth, Seth Clearwater." He held out a massive hand. His grin never left his face.

"U-uh…I'm Ben, Ben Purser." He shook my outstretched hand enthusiastically. The force of his grip was almost crushing, and his skin was very hot. He released my hand, and I winced a little as I pulled it away.

"Sorry.", he said honestly. "Sometimes I forget how strong I am."

_Strong? This kid was a freak! Still, he was interesting._

"So you're the new guy huh?" His tone was more like a statement than a question. "They said you weren't full Quileute…guess that explains the hair." Seth took a step closer to inspect it. Then he squinted, like he wasn't sure about something. His face got uncomfortably close to mine as he studied me. I wasn't sure what to do. "Cool!" he yelled in my face. "Did you know that your eyes are different colors?" I stopped myself from saying the cliché "duh". Seth suddenly became less interesting.

"Uh, yeah I have something called _Heterochromia iridium._ It means that my eyes each have different levels of pigment in them. My right eye has very little, so it is blue. My left eye has a lot, so it is brown."

Seth got a confused sort of look on his face. He paused, his grin turning into quiet contemplation. He scratched his chin absent-mindedly. "I guess you really are a mutt, eh?" His grin was even bigger than before.

I wasn't sure if he was insulting me or not. He didn't seem like the type. I laughed, "I guess so." Seth, I decided, was a good kid.

"You know not much is going on today, but I actually was looking for you. My mom wanted me to invite you and your mom to dinner at our place tomorrow. Lots of people are going to be there from the village. I know a lot of us were hoping to get to meet you." I groaned in my head. I was always terribly uncomfortable in social situations where I didn't know anyone. As if he could tell what I was thinking, Seth spoke again. "C'mon. It will be fun. You'll get to meet more people your age. Everyone is going to be there. Me, Leah, Jacob, Paul…" My mind wandered off. Surely Seth could have realized that I didn't know any of these people. "…and Sam."

My ears pricked up. "I actually did want to thank Sam for helping us." I said reluctantly.

"Great! We'll see you there, around nine." With that he was off. He ran straight for the trees, without me actually agreeing to go.

_What a goofy kid._

Feeling surprisingly good after that, I decided to run back home to tell mom. I didn't even pay attention to see if I still thought I was being watched. Maybe being here would be nice.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

This dream was different. It was like I was watching a scene through a fish-eye lens. I could hear heavy breathing as the trees flew past me. I was hot, burning in fact. I was angry. I was angrier than I had ever been before in my life. I could smell something wonderful in front of me, and I was running toward it. There, in a small clearing, was a bear.

I wasn't afraid. I was hungry. I charged the bear without hesitating. I bit viciously into its throat. The warm blood ran down into my throat as the bear let out a gargled howl. I locked my jaw until it stopped, lifeless and dead.

I could hear voices in my head. I couldn't make out what they were saying.

_I'm going crazy._

So hot, so enraged.

_What are the voices saying? _

Things began to get black. I saw something big moving out of the creeping blackness. I couldn't tell what it was.

I was gone.

I woke up sweating. My body was in so much pain. I writhed in agony until the burning started to become bearable. I stood up. My head pounded like I had a bad hangover. My body ached like I had full-body sunburn. My legs were shaky and tired. My muscles twitched in violent spasms.

_Where am I?_

I was in the woods. I could not see any clues that would point me to any conclusion beyond that. The sun was shining through the trees, and it stung my eyes.

_What's going on?_

That's when the smell caught my attention.

It was a rank smell, the smell of a dead animal baking in the sun. I looked around to discover the mangled carcass of an adult grizzly less than ten feet from where I woke up.

_What the hell is going on?!_

"Are you ok Benny-boy?" It was Seth. "You look like hell, man. I brought you some water." Seth threw a gallon jug of water like it was nothing right to me. To my surprise, I deftly caught it. It was so light that I thought it was actually empty. I looked down at it--it was filled to the brim. My thirst became very apparent. My mouth was cracked and dry inside; my own internal desert. I chugged the entire thing without stopping. Even though I wasn't all the way hydrated, mind was much clearer than it had been. I was suddenly aware of something that I hadn't been before. I was naked.

I threw my hands down in embarrassment. If my face could turn redder than it was from the burning, it would have been noticeable.

"I brought you some clothes." Seth laughed, obviously amused. I couldn't speak.

I put the clothes on. Old sweats from what I could tell. I wasn't too happy about the choice because of how hot I was, but I was relieved to be able to cover up. "Thanks." I managed to get out at last. "What's going on, Seth? Where are we? Why did I wake up here naked?"

Seth grinned, "I'm not really the one to explain that sort of thing. I'm just the delivery boy."

Anger was building in me again. The fire inside every cell in my body was beginning to flicker. My body began to shiver. It shot up my spine, and out into my appendages. "Whoa!" Seth said still grinning. "It isn't that I don't want to tell you Benny. I'm not allowed to. Sam said that he wanted to talk to you about it, so that the situation would become clear." I noticed Seth take a half-step away. "Really I'm telling you the truth. Sam sent me to bring you to him. He'll tell you what you need to hear."

I sampled his word choice "what you need to hear", not "what you want to hear". I stared at Seth for an indistinguishable amount of time, looking for a hint of a lie. I saw none.

"Alright, take me to him."I said coldly.

"Good." Seth smiled again. "I was worried I might end up like that bear, the way you were looking just now. Heh heh." He tilted his head toward the mutilated carcass.

"Let's get to Sam." My voice was irritated.

Seth nodded and beckoned me to follow him. We were running, fast. I didn't even know I could move this fast. It troubled me, but I couldn't break my mind away from the dream.

_What happened? Why was Seth so calm about all this? Was it common for people in La Push to wake up naked in a forest next to chewed up grizzly?_

"Seth?" I yelled ahead. Seth slowed down to look at me.

"What's up Benny?"

"If Sam wanted to tell me personally, why didn't he come get me?" There was a hint of anger behind my question.

"He was going to. He waited with you all last night. I decided to let him go back to get some sleep. " Seth looked a bit concerned, but this quickly shifted back to a grin.

We travelled quietly all the way back. I couldn't believe how far out I had gone in my sleep. The aches of my body seemed all but forgotten as my mind began processing all the strange smells that I had never noticed before. Sounds echoed through my mind that I never heard. Everything was different than it once had been, magnified.

Soon the tree line broke, and I could see the puffs of white smoke rising up from the small cabins. I could smell the various foods that were being cooked. By my account, it had to be sometime in the afternoon already. Seth continued to lead me to the edge of the village, to a lone cabin on the northern fringe.

Sam's cabin was very similar to mine. It was small, and as ancient as the dirt it stood on. Sam was in the doorway when we arrived. There was no visible expression on his face. He was just serene. Although he was in his twenties, his face had the expression of the wisest of old men. Looking at him made me calm down. He was a person that I felt very comfortable with, even though I had only met him once. It was very odd for me.

He leaned back in the doorway to signal me to come in. His face never changed as I walked by him. He put his hand on my shoulder as I entered. His hand was warm through the sweatshirt Seth gave me. I was instantly more relaxed.

"Thanks for picking him up Seth." Sam said calmly.

"Yeah, no problem Sam. Is it ok for me to get back to Jacob? He needs me to help him watch Renesmee." I noticed a slight bit of tension behind Seth's stance.

"No. Go ahead." Sam's change in tone was almost indistinguishable, but I was sure that name brought up some concern to him.

Before I knew it, I was sitting on the floor face to face with Sam, eagerly waiting for him to explain.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"So how are you feeling Benjamin?" Sam spoke without looking at me, very nonchalant. I hated that.

"I've had better days." I said sarcastically.

"Are you settling in okay?" He still wasn't looking at me. I was getting irritated. A small shiver began to rise in my lower spine.

_What's with the act?!_

"Sam?" My voice came out harsher than I expected. "What's going on?"

My breathing became noticeably harder.

He didn't say anything. It was like I hadn't even spoken. I was about to yell when he interrupted my thoughts.

"What do you know about the Quileutes, Benjamin?"

The question knocked me off guard. "What do you mean?" I said confused.

"Do you know the story behind where we came from?" He looked down at me, reading the thoughts on my facial expressions.

"Um…something about wolves and spirits?" My memory was very hazy. I hadn't heard the story for a long time. I usually didn't spend a lot of time on my ancestry. I knew that it might make mom upset.

"Yes." I could tell Sam was a little annoyed with my ridiculously vague summary. "The Quileutes were created from wolves. We have the spirit of the wolf within us, some of us more than others." He eyed me carefully.

"What does this have to do with anything?" I was getting more confused and angry.

"Tell me about your dream last night Benjamin." Again I was caught off guard.

"I was hot, burning up. I was running through the woods, but it was different." My eyes went up into my head trying to recall the details.

"How was it different?" Sam replied.

"I don't know. I was faster than usual. I was breathing heavily, but I wasn't tired. I heard voices, ones that I haven't heard before. I thought I was going crazy, like my mind was working separate from my body." Sam nodded thoughtfully. "Then I saw a bear."

"How did you feel?"

"I wasn't scared if that's what you're asking. I was hungry. I killed the bear. Then, the dream was over."

Sam was lost in thought for a moment.

"What if I told you, Benjamin, that your dream wasn't a dream at all? What if I told you that what you experienced last night was real?"

My eyes widened.

_Real?!_

I scanned his face desperately for some sign that he was joking with me. I waited for the solemn look to turn into a grin. No changes.

"It was real Benjamin. What you experienced last night was your first full change."

"What?" The joke had lost its humor. "What do you mean change?" I was scrambling all that was going on in my head. "What did I change into?"

"Last night you changed into a wolf Benjamin. You changed just like our ancestors have changed for countless generations."

_No._

"What is this? You think that it is funny to mess with me? Did you have me brought down here so that you could slap me around like some worthless half-breed?!" I was so furious that my entire being was trembling. My eyes began to water. I could feel the burning feeling building up, like a volcano about to explode.

Sam suddenly picked me up, and I was outside before I was even aware of what was going on.

The fire burned so badly that I thought I was going to die. Just when I couldn't take anymore, pop.

All the energy released, and bits of the sweats that Seth had given me scattered in the air.

Sam stood in his doorway and smiled. "You feel better?"

_What just happened?_

I looked down at my feet, but they weren't mine. White paws lifted when my feet should have. A terrified yelp that wasn't my voice came out of a mouth that wasn't mine.

"It's you Benjamin. You aren't dreaming. This is the power that our tribe has been passing down for generations. We use this power to protect our home from danger. Let me show you what it looks like from the outside. "

Sam suddenly burst into pieces. In front of me now stood a giant black wolf. His yellow eyes seemed different, but they reminded me of Sam. I was panicking. So many thought raced through my at once that I was getting dizzy.

"_God! Who is that?"_ A heavy voice rang in my skull.

"_This is the newest resident of La Push. His name is Benjamin."_ This voice I recognized as Sam's.

"_Does he have to whine so much?" _The heavy voice pounded again.

"_Come now Paul, you were much worse than this." _

"_Yeah…well…it's still annoying."_

More voices began to call out into my head. They filled it in a mixture of greetings and random thoughts. I felt a whoosh of dizziness as my head was flooded with millions of memories that were not my own. It was too much.

"_Shut up…I tried feebly. SHUT UP! GET OUT OF MY HEAD! STOP IT!"_ The voices were suddenly quiet. Had it worked?

"_Ok guys. Everyone phase out. Benjamin needs some time alone." _It was Sam again. The black wolf faded in front of me, back into the young man he was before my world was overturned.

"Go take some time to think on this Benjamin. I know that it is hard at first. You will get used to it. Come on back here when you feel better about it." He smiled then, and went back into his cabin.

I had to get away. I looked to the nearest tree line and bolted as fast as I could through the forest. The trees whizzed past me as I navigated through their density. All I could do was run. There was too much to think about.

I stopped when I was too tired to keep going. It was already dark. My body fell beside a still pool, apparently formed from an old spring. I was panting hard.

_Panting…_

I instinctively bent down to drink from the pool. Lapping up water until my stomach hurt. When I began to slow down I suddenly noticed what was looking at me; an enormous white wolf. It had a pinkish muzzle, and in sunlight I'm sure the fur appeared somewhat yellow. It took a long period of staring at this monster before I realized something that horrified me: The wolf had a brown left eye and a blue right eye.

I let out what meant to be a gasp, but what came out like a low howl. It was me.

_Why is this happening?_

"_It's happening because it must."_ Sam's voice entered my head again. _"We are the Quileutes; it is part of who we are. The sooner you can accept this, the sooner you will feel better. This is not just our curse; it is also our gift and our duty. We are the descendants our powerful ancestors. They were given the power of changing into wolves in order to protect the people from harm."_

"_Help me Sam. How do I stop this?"_

"_You can't Benjamin. This is our fate."_

I tried to argue. _"But I'm not even one of you! How can this happen?!"_

"_In all honesty you are a somewhat unique case. You are of mixed ancestry. This may explain why it took so long for you to change." _Sam sounded like this was some sort of wonderful experiment.

I was angry.

"_Calm down Benjamin."_

"_How…w-what?"_ That was as articulate as I could get.

"_We can hear each other's thoughts, and feel each other's emotions. This is the power of the pack mind. It is how we communicate. It is how you can hear me now, and why you have all these memories that are not your own."_ Sam seemed slightly irritated by this concept.

"_So those voices I heard?"_ I said weakly.

"_They were the other pack members. When we phase, we become a collective consciousness."_

I was still confused, but I was feeling less sick to my stomach now.

"_It's time to come back home Benjamin."_

I still didn't feel right, but something about the way Sam said this made me feel compelled to obey.

"_How do I get back, I have no clue where I am?"_

"_Follow your nose."_

I couldn't help but chuckle. The noise that came out sounded like some sort of sneeze. This was hardly the time for animated cereal-bird catch phrases, but he was right. I could smell the village from here.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

As I approached the village, a familiar black wolf came out to greet me.

"_You're going to have to phase back before you can come in. Most of the people in this village aren't actually aware of us, and I'd hate to cause a panic."_ Sam's voice was still completely calm.

In my mind I had a vision of angry people with torches and pitchforks.

"_Yeah, something like that Benjamin."_ A rare flash of humor radiated from Sam.

"_How do I turn back?"_ I was uneasy. _"What if I can't?!"_

"_All you have to do is calm down. Control your breathing, and visualize what you look like."_

I closed my eyes. I tried to slow down my breathing, taking in large breaths through my nose and then out through my mouth. I could feel the fire cooling. I imagined the image of myself in the mirror. I heard cracking and popping, like the sound of bones being broken and remolded. It didn't hurt though.

"Well done Benjamin." I opened my eyes. Sam stood in front of me again, not the wolf he was a few moments ago. He wore an expression like that of a proud father. He threw me some clothes. I was happy that they were familiar clothing: cargo shorts and a t-shirt. "Come eat with us Ben."

My hunger became very apparent then. My stomach growled so loudly that I was worried that I had changed back. I quickly checked to make sure that my hands were still…well…hands. I followed Sam to the Clearwater's home. I could smell all the wonderful aromas. We were almost to the stairs when I heard a voice yell out.

"BENNNNNNYYYYY-BOOOOOOYYYYYYY!" I looked up to see Seth with a grin bigger than I had ever seen.

"H-hi, Seth." My voice was a little shaky, and I was far from the excitement that his expressed.

"So how was it? Awesome huh?" His mood was unflappable.

"I'm not sure I'm ready to characterize it that way." I said. My eyes followed the ground.

"Don't worry man, it's awesome once you get used to it!"

"Why don't we continue this inside?" Sam said, interrupting Seth's further rambling. "I'm sure that Benjamin is hungry."

_Thank God for Sam._

We entered the small cabin. Inside, nearly twenty people were crammed in like sardines. Despite my normal attitudes toward social situations, I felt unusually comfortable. I scanned the room looking for the person I didn't want to see just yet, but mom was nowhere to be found. I sighed in relief.

I nudged Sam with my elbow. "Is everyone here…you know…like us?"

Before Sam could answer, Seth interrupted. "No. Some of them, like my mom and Billy are just family members. We usually let close family members in on the secret when their son turns. It helps to not have to keep secrets from the family."

My stomach lurched. I looked at Sam desperately.

He looked for several minutes into my dual-colored eyes. "She knows."

My heart sank.

_I bet she's angry with me. I just found out about this, how am I going to help her get through it when I can't even grasp what's going on yet._

"Why isn't she here?" My voice was trembling.

"She was upset when we told her that you had finally transformed, but she's known about this for a long time." Sam had an uneasy look on his face. He wasn't telling me something.

_She knew?!_

I turned around like a whirlwind and flew out the door. I had to go see her, something was wrong.

_She knew about this, and didn't even tell me?! How long had she known? Why hadn't she come to see if I was alright? This wasn't like her. We didn't keep secrets from each other._

I ran at full speed down the long dirt road. I ran, ignoring everything around me. I ran so fast that tears were welling up in the corners of my eyes. I was floating: it felt like my feet weren't even touching the ground. Our cabin quickly came into view.

It was quiet. The cabin was dark; there were no lights on. I slowed down to a halt. My hand was shaking as I placed it onto the screen door. For once, I was hoping for the nagging to start. No such luck.

Inside was dark, but I could see as perfectly as I could if it were day. I looked around and saw nothing out of place.

"Mom?" I called out, listening hard. No response.

I searched the house frantically; she wasn't here. I went back into her room.

It was empty. All of her stuff was gone. The only thing that remained was the side table where she kept whatever book she was reading at the time. On the table was a note.

It was written on an elaborate piece of paper. It was the heaviest thing I had ever tried to lift. When I did something clanged onto the floor, I didn't look. I read the note:

_My Dear Benjamin,_

_I'm sorry that I had to say this to you in this way, but I am not as strong as I thought I could be. By now, Sam has explained to you what is happening. You have finally reached the point that I dreaded: you have changed into a wolf. I do not fully understand how this works, but I don't think I want to. I needed to tell you the truth. Your father is not dead._

I was stunned momentarily, but I kept reading.

_Your father went through the same changes that you are going through now. We married very young. He was a proud member of the Quileutes. It came as a shock to many that he married outside the tribe. We were shunned by some for what they believed was an offense. We decided to leave after I got pregnant with you. We didn't want you to suffer through their criticisms. We lived happily for three years. _

_About the time you were two, your father became violent. He was going through strange changes and couldn't handle himself. One night his temper got out of control, and he changed just like you did tonight. I was so scared when he tore out of the house and never came back. I tried to find him, but I never saw him again. No one had seen him. It was like he disappeared. I tried to pretend that I had imagined it. I made up the story of his death so that I didn't have to involve you. Unfortunately, I couldn't keep you away from what was inevitable. I was too weak. _

_After your father left, I knew that there was always a chance that you might too. You never did. You became everything I loved about him and more. When you started acting the same way he was before he changed, I started to panic. I came up to the reservation demanding some answers. Finally, I met Sam and Billy. They explained everything about what was going on. Sam asked me to move you up here so that he could help you through the transition. I had never planned to stay. Listen to me when I say that he is here to help you._

_I love you Benjamin. You have been my world, the only thing that kept me going all these years. I wanted to be there for you, but I'm not strong enough. The more you grow, the more I see him in you. It hurts too much. I'm sorry that I can't be stronger for you Ben. Don't be like me and your father; don't run from your challenges. Face what fate has brought to you like I know you can. You have always been so strong, that is why I know that I can be selfish and leave you on your own. I love you Ben, but please don't try to look for me. Maybe in time I will gain the strength to come back, but for now I can't bear it._

_I will love you every moment for eternity,_

_Mom _

Under her name, she had kissed the page with bright red lipstick. It was her signature, the one that adorned every birthday card and present she had ever given me.

There was something scribbled on the bottom.

_P.S. This was the only thing I had left from your father. It was his, and I hope that it will give you some comfort._

I remembered the clanking noise from when I opened the letter. On the floor was a small metal object. A pewter wolf face attached to length of cord. I hugged the gift and the letter and cried. I hadn't cried for years. I couldn't think of anything else that might help stop the hurt. The burning-debilitating pain of my first phase became nothing but an itch to what I felt now. I phased out of distress.

Outside I could hear the call drifting over the trees. The mournful howls of the wolf brethren that suddenly shared all my feelings shook the night.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

I wasn't sure how long I had remained sitting in my mom's former room, days maybe. White fur adorned every corner of the small space. I couldn't calm myself enough to change back. I was aware of what was going on around me, but I didn't care. My stomach cried out in protest due to the lack of food, but I ignored it. Every once and a while I could hear one of the wolves circle my house, their thoughts trying to probe my brain. When they realized that it wasn't safe, they yelped and ran back to report in to Sam (I guessed). I knew he was worried, but I didn't care.

_What should I do?_

The others knew better than to respond. I don't even think that any of them dared to phase in at the moment. They didn't want to feel what I was feeling.

_Can I make it? Am I really as strong as mom said? Was she ok? What is left for me now?_

An interesting scent drifted into the cabin. It was so alluring, a faint woodsy smell mixed with lilac. There was one other faint scent mixed in. I couldn't tell what the scent was, but it was sweet, sweet enough to give the scent a slight sting to it.

My ears shifted on my head, trying to pick up sounds. I was alert, but not worried. Reality came whooshing back into me. Something was shuffling at the tree line behind me.

I squeezed my body through the house and out the front door. I still wasn't able to phase back. I walked cautiously around to the back yard.

Just outside the tree line was a slender, yet monstrous, gray wolf.

I couldn't see it too well. I eyed it curiously, focusing my thoughts to try and see what it was thinking. I couldn't hear anything.

"_Who are you?"_

No response.

I walked slowly towards it, more curious than scared. I was larger than it, and I didn't see a reason to fear it. As it came into my vision more clearly, I could see its large brown eyes, they widened. As soon as I looked into them something happened.

The world around us faded. Everything but us was black.

_Can't look away…_

All around us the blackness was filled with red ribbons. The ribbons formed a tapestry that connected us to everything else.

In one instance, we were connected to everything. The red ribbons wove our hearts into the life essences of everything around us.

We continued to stare into each other's eyes.

_Can't look away…_

The red ribbons started to solidify. They turned grey like stone and shattered. Only one ribbon remained.

It was a golden ribbon. The ribbon pulsated with gold light. The golden ribbon attached into my heart, and extended across the yard into the gray wolf's.

_Can't look away…_

Everything became clear to me. This being was all that I needed. It was everything to me even though I knew nothing about it. It was the most beautiful thing that I had ever seen.

The ribbon and the darkness fizzled out of my view. The world around us reappeared.

I looked into its big beautiful brown eyes, and walked closer.

_I have to be near it._

The wolf looked dazed, and then it shook its head.

It was scared. Its brown eyes widened further, and it turned and bolted into the woods.

_No!_

I ran after it. I couldn't lose it. I wouldn't lose anything I loved ever again. I ran as fast as my four feet could possibly take me.

"WAIT!" I screamed out.

The gray wolf skidded to a halt. It turned around, the expression of horror on its face apparent through its wolfish features.

_Had I just talked?! Somehow, I had managed to talk as a wolf._

My instincts took over. My tail went down. My front paws stretched in front of me as I bowed my head low. My hind quarters stood straight up and wriggled back and forth.

"I don't want to hurt you." My voice was clearer than before.

The wolf looked into my eyes. Its face softened noticeably. A puzzled look spread across its face.

A familiar crunching noise rang out in the forest. Then she appeared.

I stared wide-eyed at the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

She had perfect copper skin that gleamed in the moonlight. She had gorgeous-glistening black hair that fell just below her shoulders, and her huge eyelashes were like feather dusters. The beauty of the world was contained in her brown eyes.

She crossed her arms over her chest, and as I watched the movement my trance was broken. She grunted like she was annoyed. I realized at once what I hadn't before.

_She's naked!_

I quickly turned my head so that I wasn't staring at her. It was difficult; everything in my being wanted me to never stop looking at her. If I had been human, my face would have been beet red.

In my peripheral, I noticed her take out a bag that was tied to her leg. She pulled out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, and quickly put them on. When she was finished she looked at me with beautiful ferocity.

"How did you do that?" she demanded.

Her voice had such a beautiful roughness to it. If it was all that I could hear for the rest of my life I would be fine.

"Well?!"

I jerked out of another captivation.

"Do what?" I said, not really clear on the conversation.

"You're speaking…while phased." Her eyebrow lifted as she eyed me questioningly. Her stance was defensive.

"What's your name?" I replied as if not knowing any longer would kill me.

"Answer my question!" Her tone was a harsh but beautiful like music.

"Uh…I don't know. I'm new to this. I j-just didn't want you to go, and you were so fast. I had to do something!" I took a step closer to her. Just mentioning her running away made me afraid that she would.

She matched my step and came closer to me. A smirk came over her face, and I saw her white teeth gleam.

_Beautiful…_

"My name is Leah." She said curtly. "If you meant that you won't hurt me then why not face me as a human?"

It had been easier then when Sam had coached me. I would do anything she asked; I was sure of it.

I stood before her. My paleness was magnified by the contrast of our skin.

She smiled at me. I wasn't sure why. She inspected me closely up and down for several minutes. I stood still, afraid that a sudden movement might scare her away.

She tossed me the bag. "Why don't you cover up a bit?" Her face was kind.

_What?_

It was at that point that I realized what was happening.

_I'm naked again!_

Now I was red. I looked shamefully at her face, but she didn't have the reaction I expected.

"Now we're even then." She smirked

I wanted her to know everything about me, and I wanted to know everything about her.

"So you're Ben?" Her question was more of a statement.

"Yes." I started to feel awkward. "I just moved here with my mom." I winced as I said that.

"I'm sorry." She said this like she already knew. "Heartbreak happens…"she trailed off again.

There were so many things going on in my head. I couldn't help myself from blurting things out. "Leah?" I liked the taste of saying her voice. "Why were you at my house? Why did you run from me? What was with all the ribbons? How come I can't hear your thoughts?" After I blurted all this out I felt weird.

Leah's face contorted into a frown. "I'm…not too sure…" She trailed off, like she was contemplating what had happened. She looked confused. "Jacob sent me to check on you. He knew that there was a new wolf on the reservation, and he wanted to make sure that you didn't do anything stupid."

_Who does this guy think he is?! He doesn't even know who I am!_

"I ran…because…because I wasn't sure what you were going to do. " Her explanation was shaky, but her voice grew steadier as she spoke. "Young wolves aren't very stable. I had no way to judge whether you would attack or not." She looked at me with longing eyes, like the explanation hurt her to say.

_Did I upset her?_

"What about the ribbons? Did you see them? They were everywhere." I looked at her hoping that she had. I was hoping that I wasn't crazy.

"I didn't see anything!" She turned her head up. She looked angry, but it seemed like she couldn't keep the face going. Her face fell and she looked like she might cry.

I wanted to hug her. Her face was so sad. I wanted to console her until everything that bothered her went away. I reached out to touch her.

She leaned forward like she wanted me too, but then she shook her head and pulled away.

"I-I have to go report back in to Jacob." She started to back away.

"Wait!" I said. I sounded far too desperate.

Leah turned around to look at me with her beautiful brown eyes. "I'm sure that we'll see plenty of each other from now on." I couldn't tell if she was happy or sad about that. She looked upset, but her voice sounded hopeful.

"Turn around." She said suddenly. She started to take off her clothes. "Throw the bag over your shoulder." This time her voice was somewhat playful.

I tossed the bag over to Leah. There was a loud popping noise behind me. I turned around to see the slender gray wolf again behind me. It looked at me one more time and took off into the night.

I phased again. Seeing her go caused me to react. My mind was swimming with questions. As I turned back into a wolf I could hear the gasps and roars of laughter from the other people in my head.

"_NO WAY!" _I recognized Paul's voice immediately.

I heard several snickers from voices I still didn't recognize.

"_Go home and get some sleep Benjamin. I'll come over in the morning to answer your questions." _Sam said in a somewhat concerned tone.

"_I can't believe it! The mutt and Leah?! Even after…"_ Paul's voice was cut short by a roar from Sam.

"_QUIET PAUL!"_ Paul was immediately silenced.

I walked somberly back to my cabin. Every step in the opposite direction of her was worse than the last. Her scent clung to my nostrils. It hugged me and wouldn't let go.

I wound back through the woods to my small-empty home. I was sad, but happy at the same time. She said that we'd see a lot of each other, and I believed her. I had to believe her. I wouldn't survive losing her: a stranger.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

That night was the most restless night of my life. Everything was so clear to me. The nightmares of my mother were beaten away by the copper-goddess that held me in her arms. I still missed mom, but I was so distracted that I couldn't help but put her in the back of my mind.

The goddess, Leah, embraced me tightly. Her black hair tumbled onto my face. I could smell lilacs. The golden ribbon intertwined our hearts.

Then I felt something wet as she held my head close to her chest. She was crying. Golden tears ran down her glorious face. I reached up to wipe them away. Then something pulled her from me.

Pain shot into her face as a gigantic black mass clamped onto her chest. The monster tried to tear at the ribbon. My body shook, and I was once again the gigantic white wolf. I charged at the black beast and sank my fangs into it.

_Kill._

It was the only thing I was thinking. It tasted horrible. Its black blood oozed into my mouth, and as it did I felt despair and pain.

_Don't let go. Kill._

I jerked my head as hard as I could, tearing the black mass from the ribbon. The monster burst into smoke. Leah was lying on the ground, lifeless.

"LEAH!" I screamed as I woke up. My head jerked up and slammed against the roof of my mother's former bedroom. My lips curled over my muzzle as I winced in pain. I was a wolf again. I had phased in my dream.

"_Is everything alright Benjamin?" _Sam's voice rang in my skull. My head was still seething from hitting the roof so hard.

"_I-I'm fine." I replied weakly. "It was just a bad dream."_

"_I see." _Sam's voice seemed distant.

"_Sam, are you coming soon? I really want to find out what's going on; it was so weird last night." _My voice was eager with anticipation.

"_I'm already here."_

A knock sounded at the door. I focused myself in order to turn back into a human. I remembered my clothes this time. I ran to the door with my shirt still over my head. I opened the screen door to see not just Sam, but also some other person I hadn't met before.

"Benjamin, this is Jacob Black. He wanted to join me talk about something that concerns us both."

I raised my eyebrow, looking at the person that had asked Leah to stop me from doing anything stupid. His skin was russet, and his hair was short and black. The random lengths of hair on his head led me to believe that he had done a rush self-job on it. He looked very much like an older version of Seth. Something about him gave off an arrogance that I didn't quite like. I stretched out my hand.

He took my hand in his and squeezed tightly. I increased my pressure to match his. It was like we were fighting for dominance. It ended as quickly as it started.

"Nice to meet you Ben." His tone was indifferent, a sort of fake greeting you give to someone you don't particularly like.

"Yeah." I said matching his tone. "Come on in guys."

Both of them walked silently into my house. I pulled out some old stools that were sitting in the kitchen, so that each of us had a comfortable place to sit.

"You have questions." Sam said this instantly as we sat down. I was glad that he wasn't going to drag this on like he had earlier.

"Where can I find Leah?" As soon as I said this I felt weird.

_Is this really the most pressing issue?_

"Why do you want to know?" It was Jacob who answered.

I shot him a glance that spewed rage.

_If looks could kill…_

"I'm not sure; I just know that I need to see her." I really had no clue why. It was so absurd. "Is she at least ok? She seemed sad last night. I was afraid that I had done something that upset her."

Sam and Jacob looked at each other.

"What happened when you saw her last night Benjamin?" Sam looked hard into my multi-colored eyes.

_Does he know something about the ribbons?_

"I looked into her eyes, and then I saw red ribbons everywhere. It was like I was connected to everything, and tied down to everything. Then the ribbons all shattered until there was only one left. It was a golden one that attached somewhere inside of me to somewhere inside of her. It was like the meaning of my whole existence was in her."

I drifted off to last night.

_Leah_

Jacob and Sam looked at each other again.

"I can't believe it happened…with her of all people." Jacob's tone was playful, but it made me angry.

"What you experienced is what we call imprinting. We do not know why it happens when it does." Sam said this calmly, but I was sure I saw something behind his eyes.

"I-Imprinting?"

"Yes, imprinting is a genetic trait that our kind uses to select the best mates to create the best new wolves. We don't have any control over who we imprint on. Jacob and I have been talking about your unusual situation."

I looked at Jacob. "Why with him?"

"Technically, there are two wolf packs in the La Push area. There is my pack, the one that has its territory here directly on the reservation, and then there is Jacob's pack, the one that shares territory with the Cullen family. Leah is part of Jacob's pack, as is Seth."

"So what does this mean for me and Leah?" I had a worried tone in my voice.

"Like I said, yours is an unusual case. You didn't just imprint on Leah, she imprinted on you at the same time. Something like this has never happened before, mainly because Leah is the only known female of our kind."

"Is that why she was upset? She's unhappy because I'm the one she imprinted on?"

"I don't think that's the reason Ben." Jacob was actually serious now. "I don't think Leah actually expected to ever imprint on, or be imprinted on by anyone. No one expected that her imprinting would be possible because her immortal body is incapable of reproduction. She's assumed, up to this point, that she's some sort of 'genetic dead end'."

_She thought she would be alone forever?_

"I don't care about creating more wolves!" My voice was suddenly harsh. "I just want to be with her. Everything else doesn't matter to me!"

"I know Ben." Jacob's voice was soft. "That is the nature of imprinting. Sam and I both understand what you feel. We've both already imprinted before." Both of them seemed to drift off somewhere momentarily. "The problem comes with Leah. She's not answering the pack mind. We aren't sure how she's reacting to the situation." A look of concern washed over Jacob's face.

"We think that we may have an idea about how we can locate her Benjamin." Sam stared at me seriously. "It's going to require you to join Jacob's pack. When you do, you will be able to speak to her telekinetically. We believe that because you have imprinted on each other, that she won't be able to avoid you. Every instinct will tell her to come back."

"I won't do it." My voice was stern.

"Why not?!" Jacob seemed a bit irritated with me.

"I'm not going to help you trick her. If she needs to be away…" It hurt a bit to say it. "Then I will do whatever she needs to not feel pain, even if it means that I can't see her."

Jacob and Sam exchanged frustrated glances.

"We can't force you to do anything Benjamin, but what if she gets herself hurt?" Sam raised an eyebrow at me as he said this.

"She won't. I saw it in her. Nothing will happen to her, she is too strong. If imprinting is as powerful as you say, she'll come back to me when she is ready." My tone was finite. The decision was already made in my head. I was reminded of a story that my mom had told me once before: hold the butterfly too tightly and you'll crush it, too loosely and it will fly away.

"He may be right." Jacob said reluctantly. Sam simply nodded.

"I have some other questions." I said calmly.

"Shoot." Jacob said

"You said that we are immortal, but why aren't there any older wolves?" This question had been bothering me.

"We are immortal, for now. Once we have learned to control our ability to change completely, we can choose to give it up and age." Sam said this matter-of-factly.

"Why would someone give it up?" Sam's answer didn't make too much sense to me.

"I'm sure that right now immortality seems like a wonderful thing, but I believe that there will come a time when you grow tired of living forever. Even though our bodies never age, our minds will probably grow tired. When this time comes, we will choose to live out our mortal lives." Sam looked at me with a wise expression on his face.

"Maybe…" My voice trailed off. I still wasn't convinced.

"Anything else?" Jacob looked like he might be getting antsy.

"I did have one more question. Leah said that it was unusual for me to be able to talk as a wolf, is this true?"

Jacob and Sam looked at each other wide-eyed.

"You can?" Jacob looked at me like a prosecuting attorney looked at the person he was trying to convict.

"Yes." I replied sheepishly. "I'll show you."

I got up and lead Sam and Jacob outside.

I focused, and phased with relative ease. I looked down at Sam and Jacob.

"See, I wasn't making it up." My voice was rough, but the language was distinguishable.

Sam looked at me in astonishment. "When did you learn how to do that?"

"When Leah ran from me last night, I was so scared that she would get away that I just yelled out with all my thoughts. The words just came out. Is this really strange?" My voice was clear, but had a sort of growling echo to it.

"Well I've never heard of this happening before." Jacob looked impressed. I smiled a wolfish smile.

"I wonder if this is something to do with your mixed ancestry. I need to consult with the counsel on this." I couldn't tell is Sam was scared or excited. "I'm going to set up a meeting with them so that they can examine your ability for themselves. Jacob, I was planning to do this myself, but with this new information I don't think I can today. Can you take Benjamin hunting? He hasn't eaten in days."

"I need to get back to Renesmee. I don't like to be away from her for too long."

"It's okay." I said with new found energy. "I'm sure I can figure it out." The thought of being with Jacob made me uncomfortable; I still wasn't sure that I liked him.

Sam frowned at Jacob. "Fine, go ahead."

Sam and Jacob phased, and took off in separate directions.

Without watching them disappear, I took off for the woods.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The air was cool as I silently made my way through the undergrowth. There were no voices in my head, which made me incredibly happy. It was uncomfortable having someone else know what I was thinking. It seemed wrong, an illegal invasion of my mind.

I put my nose low to the ground. I sniffed at the edges of the trees. After a few minutes, I managed to pick up the scent of something that seemed to excite my wolfish instincts. I found a deer path carved into the ground. The tracks on it were fresh, and the ground had been disturbed recently.

_How do I know this?_

The scent was strong, and a wave of feeling swept over my body. It was like my mind was taking a back seat to instinct. I was in a transcendental state, watching from the outside as the gigantic white wolf expertly moved toward the tantalizing scent.

The wolf finally locked on to its target. A large buck was grazing on some fruit-bearing shrubbery. The mighty beast fed without regard to its surroundings. The large rack on its head was a testament to its age and skill, this old champion had seen many years and offspring. The wolf crouched low, and crept its way closer. In a flash, like lightning, the wolf was on the deer. If you had blinked, you would have missed it.

The proud buck didn't even have an opportunity to cry out. Its throat was clamped in a silencing vice. After a few minutes, its eyes glazed over. The champion's time was over, he would not live to see another breeding season.

Eating raw animal flesh was not something that I particularly enjoyed, but my hunger forced my predisposition to the background. I ate until I thought I might burst. My pink muzzle had turned red with blood, the war paint that I had earned from the champion.

A crack of a twig pulled my attention to the forefront. My ears went up, and I scanned the area. My teeth bared as my instincts told me to defend my kill. My tail went straight up, and the hair on my back stood on end. Then it showed itself.

She drifted out of the growth; the beautiful grey wolf.

"Leah!" My aggressive features faded instantly, and I felt immense heat. I didn't dare run up to her. I was too afraid that she might run away. I expected her to walk up cautiously, but then she did something that I didn't expect.

She bolted straight to me. I didn't know if she would be able to stop without knocking me over. She halted right in front of my face. A shiver ran up and down my spine as she rubbed her warm body up against mine. She ran herself under my head and against my chest. As her tail brushed my nose I could smell the irresistible smell of lilacs. She turned back around and took a quick lick at the side of my muzzle.

_Who are you, and what happened to the Leah I met last night?_

As if she sensed my confusion, she backed off. It was like she had been in a trance. She stared at me expectantly.

"What?" I said through my wolfish voice.

She jerked her head to the side.

"Oh." I said, and I turned myself around.

The familiar popping noise sounded behind me.

"I'm sorry about that." Her sweet voice sounded embarrassed. "I don't know what I was thinking. I just saw you…and I-I couldn't stop myself." She paused for a few minutes. "Will you look at me?"

I turned around to see the beauty that invaded every thought I had. "I-Its ok Leah." Her name fell lovingly off my tongue. "You just caught me off guard is all." I towered over the bronze goddess, repressing every urge I had to take her into my arms.

"We need to talk Ben." Oh, how I loved when she said my name.

My senses came back to me. "Hold on." I turned around and jumped into some nearby bushes. I had learned very quickly the need to bring spare clothing with me. I phased out and put on my spare clothing as fast as I could.

_No sneak peeks this time!_

When I came out she giggled, but her smile soon turned grave. "Come sit down with me, we need to get this over with."

I wasn't sure that I liked the way she said this, especially after the greeting she gave me.

We sat down on a fallen tree. She sat down first, and despite my urges, I gave her some space between us.

"What do you want to talk about? You know that everyone was worried about you when you disappeared last night." My voice was shaky from exerting all my self control.

"I know." She said this with the same sort of tension in her voice. "I just had a lot to think about, and it's difficult to think with other people in your head."

_I know what you mean._

"I lied to you Ben." She couldn't look me in the eyes. "I saw the ribbons like you did."

_I know. I understand Leah._

"I was just scared. I didn't expect to ever…" Her voice cut off. I assumed that this was hard for her to say.

"You didn't expect to have an imprinting experience." I finished her sentence to help her.

"No…I didn't. I had resigned to be alone ever since he left me." Leah's voice was quivering.

"Who left you Leah?" My voice was harsh, but not to her.

_How could anyone ever give her up?!_

"I-I can't say Ben." I wanted to know, but it was obviously too hard for her. Someone had hurt my goddess. If I ever found out who it was, my fangs would find his throat.

"You don't have to tell me if it is too difficult for you." My voice was soft and comforting.

"I don't want to lie to you Ben. I don't want to keep things from you. I want you to know everything about me, but I'm afraid that you'll leave me when you know my pain. I'm broken Ben." Tears started to pour down her face. "This is so stupid for me to act like this. We don't even know each other! I'm a bad person Ben; you don't want to be with me. You don't want to carry my burdens on your shoulders. I don't deserve to be happy." Leah's head slumped down; her glistening black hair fell over her face. She was trembling. I couldn't control myself.

I was next to her in an instant. I didn't even remember moving it was so fast. I placed my right hand under her chin and lifted her face up. My left hand slid a finger under her disheveled hair, and pulled it gently behind her ear. I looked into her mesmerizing brown eyes. The whites of her eyes were now red and filled with tears.

"I couldn't leave you if I tried." Without thinking I pulled her face into mine and kissed her.

Our lips locked together in a perfect fit, two separate pieces that now made a whole. The kiss was light at first, but she grabbed onto the back of my blond hair and twisted her fingers into it. She pulled me in to make the kiss deeper. I matched her passion, pulling her into me. Her body slid into mine, and I put my arms around her waist. The heat we generated would have made the sun jealous.

After several minutes this way, she pulled away.

She repositioned herself onto my lap, and I cradled her in my arms. I could feel her tears soak into my shirt. I held her tight. I was willing to sit like this forever if it would comfort her.

Soon her body softened, and I knew that she had drifted to sleep. I sat there with her like a statue. I would not move even if it meant staying here all night. I never wanted this feeling to go away.

Leah was right. We didn't know anything about each other, but it didn't matter. We loved each other, and I would do anything to keep it that way forever.

_How many people get to hold the entire world in their hands?_

It was dark when Leah finally woke up. Before she opened her eyes she reached out to make sure I was still there. I hadn't moved. As long as she was comfortable, I was an immovable object.

She looked up at me with her glorious brown eyes. Her hands slip up the sides of my face, and she pulled me in to kiss her again. It was just as fiery as the first time. She smiled now, and looked very deep into my face.

"Your eyes are different colors. They are beautiful." Her fingers stroked my eyebrows, exposing my blue and brown eyes.

"They are jealous of yours." My face formed a soft smile.

Leah laughed softly. "Well, they only belong to you now."

This situation would have made me uncomfortable less than a month ago. Now, everything seemed right. I didn't want it to end, but I knew that people would be worried about us.

"We should head back." Leah said before I could.

"Yeah, I'm sure both packs are looking for us now." She climbed out of my arms, her reluctance was obvious. I didn't really want to stop either.

We started to change out of our clothes. Neither of us bothered to hide ourselves from each other. There was no need to hide, there was no shame. We belonged to each other. When we were both undressed we phased. We reared our heads back and howled in order to signal our packs. The moonlit forest was filled with the patter of two enormous wolves; my head was filled with the images of her.

"_Whoa! Tone that mess down mutt!"_ Paul's voice rang in my head.

I heard several other pack members make gagging noises. I chuckled under my breath. I focused hard on more images of Leah.

"_Gross! C'mon man we don't want to see that! I just ate." _This voice sounded different. I think his name was Jared. I hadn't really met him, but I think I remembered seeing him at Sam's.

"_I just felt like torturing you guys for reading my thoughts. I'll stop." _My good mood was apparent.

"_Not sure how much of that I could take."_ Paul laughed in my head.

"_We are on our way back to La Push."_ I said shortly.

"_Good. Sam and Jacob have called a meeting with the council. They may have found something that could point to why you and Leah have bonded." _Jared spoke seriously.

I turned to look at Leah. "Sam and Jacob want us to head to the council meeting." She looked sideways at me and nodded. We took off faster.

_Finally some answers._

Soon the glow of light from the homes came into view. I followed Leah to where the council met. We phased back into our human forms and got dressed as we entered the longhouse.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

We came into the center of the longhouse hand-in-hand. Both packs sat in a circle around a fire. On the far side I could see Sam and Jacob sitting next to Billy Black and an older man.

Leah and I were instructed to sit down in front of them. It was somewhat uncomfortable being the center of attention, but with Leah's fingers intertwined with mine I knew I would be fine.

Sam stood up. "We are here today because Quil Ateara Senior believes that he can shed some light onto the situation between Leah and Benjamin." He tilted his head toward the older man that I did not recognize. Quil looked as ancient as the dirt. His long white hair enveloped his wrinkled face. He stood up shakily. His ancient piercing eyes looked at me and Leah.

"I have come across a very ancient legend. One that it seems had been forgotten by our people for some time. I admit that I had forgotten the tale myself until Sam explained the situation to me." Despite his age, his voice was very clear and strong. "The legend I speak of is the Legend of Pititchu's Weeping." Quil motioned for Billy to take over, and sat back down.

Billy moved forward in his wheel chair. He sat right in front of us as he began to tell the story.

"Long ago, before Q'waeti created the first Quileutes, our lands were held in the arms of Pititchu the moon. Pititchu was kind, and loved the living creatures that she gazed down upon. There was one creature that Pititchu loved above all the others: the kwoli (wolves). Every night the kwoli would sing and give praise to Pititchu, and she would glow brightly. The kwoli songs comforted Pititchu. She was lonely in the sky. This went on for many winters.

Then came the time of Q'waeti'. The travelling shape shifter morphed into being all the people in the land. When he reached the Quileute land, he saw only the wolves. There were no people here, so Q'waeti' transformed them into people. He taught them how to overcome the elements and survive, but with their knowledge they forgot about Pititchu. Pititchu mourned the loss of kwoli songs. She wept in the heavens uncontrollably.

One night as Pititchu was weeping; her sobs were drowned out by the tears of another. A lone Quileute woman cried out in heartbreak. Her husband had left her for another woman because she could not make him children. Pititchu tried to console the woman, but she could not leave the heavens. Pititchu took some of her spirit, and created a companion for the woman. The being took the form of the thing that had once consoled Pititchu: a kwoli. This kwoli was different than those that had once loved Pititchu. Pititchu instilled within it tameness so that it was sure to never hurt the woman. She filled the kwoli with love and devotion, so that it would always protect the woman and never leave her. She gave it the ability to turn back and forth between a man and a kwoli. She gave it the power to talk like a man. Pititchu named this creature Kadidu (dog), and sent him to the earth as a falling star.

When the woman and Kadidu joined their gazes, there was instant love.

The woman and Kadidu lived several lifetimes in happiness together. Pititchu joined their hearts with an unbreakable golden ribbon. They produced many strong children, the strongest of any Quileutes. Each night the woman, Kadidu, and their many children sang to Pititchu in thanks. Pititchu finally stopped weeping."

Billy's storytelling was almost magical. Everyone in the longhouse stared wide-eyed at me and Leah. We stared at each other. There we were, our love recorded in one of the oldest legends of the Quileute tribe. I was made for her, and we would live together happily, forever. Our eyes locked onto each other. We pulled into each other and we kissed that same fiery kiss that forged our essences together.

The moon shined into the hole where the smoke exited the longhouse, and fell onto us. In the light of Pititchu, the golden ribbon that encircled us became visible to everyone.


End file.
